Float valve structure



Dec. 22, 1953 s. SAMARAS FLOAT VALVE STRUCTURE Filed July 12, 194sPatented Dec. 22, 1953 FLOAT VALVE STRUCTURE Stephen Samaras, Oakland,Calif., assignor to Samaras Valve Corporation, Oakland, Calif., acorporation of California Application July 12, 1948, Serial No. 38,200

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to float valves for automatically controlling thereiilling of storage tanks and has particular reference to such a devicedesigned for use specically in a water closet tank.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved, compact iioatvalve mechanism for a water closet tank or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a float-operated valve,for controlling the flow of water into a water closet tank, whichis'characterized by marked silence of operation.

`Still another object of the invention is to provide greatly simplifiedoperating mechanism for actuating a flow-control valve in response tomovements of a float.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in apparatus of thecharacter described an improved and simple munie for minimizing thenoise level of operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide, in a device ofthe nature referred to, novel v valve operating mechanism having one-wayaction in which, although the valve closes in the direction of waterflow, the mechanical advantage of the water pressure transmitted to thefloat, through the leverage system of the latter, will be so reducedthat relative iiuttering between the valve and float will not occur and,as a result, chattering of the valve during `closing thereof will beeliminated and substantially silent action will obtain.

Still another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of theclass described which, although compact in form, is capable of passing alarge volume of water in a short time with a resultant rapid lling ofthe storage tank.

Another object of the invention is to provide a iioat valve mechanism inwhich the major parts are constructed of drawn or rolled metal', whichlend themselves well to production by presses or rotary cuttingmachines, or are formed as pressure process castings and therefore arecapable of more rapid and economical manufacture and of assembly with aminimum of extraneous fitting operations than are the comparablesand-cast metal parts heretofore used.

Yet another object of the invention is to pro vide a float-controlledmechanism in which provision is made for rapid removal or replacement asa unit, of the flow-control valve. K

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the followingdescription of the preferred form of the invention which is illustratedin the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It isto be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by thesaid drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of theinvention as set forth in the claim.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a water closet tank showing themechanism of my invention included therein. Figure 2 is an enlargedscale vertical sectional view of the upper portion of the valvemechanism shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 isa vertical sectional view takenin the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional View taken in the plane indicatedvbythe line 4 4 of Figure 2.

In the form in which I have chosen to illustrate my invention I haveshown a conventional water closet tank 6 provided with a water supplypipe I which enters the tank 6, usually through the bottom thereof, byway of a ferrule fitting 8. EX tending from the tting 8 upwardly intothe tank 6 and connected with the supply pipe 'I is a riser pipe 9, andsurrounding and concentric with the latter, adjacent its uppermostportion, is a comparatively short discharge tube II having at its upperend a radially-extending nipple I2 provided with an axial passage I3entering the bore of the discharge tube and connected with one end ofthe usual refill tube I4A whose opposite end is positioned over and maydischarge water into the overiiow pipe I6 associated with the tank dumpvalvel mechanism I1. The nipple I2 is further provided with ananti-siphoning aperture I 5 drilled therethrough and venting the passageI3 to the atmosphere. Although the apparatus of my invention is normallyincapable of establishing a siphoning action through the refill tube itinto the overflow tube, many States have laws making mandatory theprovision of vacuumbreaking means in connection with the refill tube andconsequently the aperture I5 is provided to conform with these statutoryrequirements. Mounted in the peripheral space between the riser pipe 9and the discharge tube II and positioned preferably near the lower endof the latter, is a spring diffuser I8 of annular shape serving to breakup the stream of water which may issue through the lower end of thedischarge tube and further acting in one form of the invention, as acentering means for retaining the riser pipe 9 and the discharge tube II in relative concentric position. Retaining means may conveniently .beprovided for the spring diiuser I8 in a peripheral groove I9 cutinternally of the discharge tube and into which the diffuser, afterbeing radially compressed by insertion into the latter tube, may expandand be thereafter securely held in place.

Disposed at the upper end of the riser pipe 9 and, if desired, formed asan integral part of the discharge tube Il, is a valve housing here shownas being constructed entirely from a unit length oi' solid metal rod orof tubing of the requisite internal and external diameters, which isformed at its-lower end with a hub 2l provided with an axial bore 22 inwhich is secured, preferably by means of the screw threads 23, thecorrespondingly threaded upper extremity of the riser pipe. The valvehousing is thus xed to and is supported solely by the riser pipe. Theupper portion 24 of the valve housing has an external diameter which isonly slightly less than that of the bore of the discharge tube so thatthe latter tube may be slid axially over and will snugly engage thehousing portion 24. The discharge tube is thus centered with respect tothe valve housing and is retained in position axially thereof byfrictional engagement of the dnuser spring I3 with the external surfaceof the risery housing portion 24 and forms one side of a peripheralpassage 33 which provides an upward continuation of the internal passagecf the dis* charge tube to the lower end of the housing portion 24.Internally, the valve housing is provided with an axially-extendingrecess 34, which is in communication with the upper end of the bore 22,and with an upwardly-continuing and concentric annular space orcounterbore 35 of enlarged diameter disposed intermediate the housingportions 24 and 32 and in which isY formed an annular shoulder 31 at thejunction of the bore and counterbore. Also provided in the upper portion24 of the valve housing is a plurality of apertures 38 extendingradially through the wall section 33 lying between the periphery of thecounterbore 36 and the outer periphery of the housing and positioned sothat a selected one of the apertures may be aligned with the passage I3of the refill tube nipple I2 thus bringing the refill tube intocommunication with the internal space of the valve housing. The valvehousing, in the upper portion 24 thereof, is further provided with slits4I extending vertically from each aperture 38 into the passage 33 so asto provide iiow communication therebetween. I

In the upper chamber of the valve housing 1ncluding the counterbore 36 Iprovide a removable valve unit generally indicated by the Ynumeral 42which serves to control water flow upwardly from the riser pipe 9 intothe upper chamber. The valve maybe of any desired construction whichwill provide the necessary flow control but I prefer to employ theremovable barrel-type valve structures shown in either of my priorapplications, Serial Number 655,133, led March 18, 1946, now abandoned',or Serial Number 738,648, led April 1947, now Letters Patent No.2,589,630, datedA March 18, 1952. Each of these devicesV comprises, asshown in Figure 2, a cylindrical barrel 43 slidingly fitting in thecounterbore 3B and provided at its lower end with a port 44 bordered bya recessed resilient ring 46 which lies partly on the shoulder 31 so asto form sealing means between the barrel and valve housing and whichserves when engaged by the vertically movable valve 41 to eiect sealingclosure of the valve port 44. A spring-pressed Stern 48 extendingupwardly through the barrel and protruding above the upper end of thevalve housing is connected with and to guide the valve 41 axiallybetween open and closed positions. Within the barrel 43 is a chamber 49in communication with the valve port 44 and with apertures 5I drilledradially through the side wall of the barrel, the outer ends'of theapertures opening into a peripheral groove 52 formed exteriorly of thebarrel and aligned and communicating with the apertures 3B of the valvehousing.

Means is provided for opening and closing the valve 41 in response tochanges in the level of the liquid in the tank E. Disposed above thevalve housing is a valve actuator support oomprising, preferably, anintegral sheet metal member having relatively spaced, parallel andvertically extending side plates 53 having a horizontal tie bar portion54, disposed substantially intermediate their height, and furtherprovided at their lower ends with Vlfiorizontally disposed ilanges 56which are arranged to be clamped between the upper end of the valvehousing 24 and the overlying flange 28 of the ring nut 21. The outeredges of the anges are ar ranged to be clamped at the upper end of thevalve housing 24 between the top surface 2e of the valve unit and theoverlying ilarige 2B of the ring nut 21. The outer edges of the anges 56are curvate and combine to form a base ci generally circular form whichmay be received within the threaded bore of the ring nut and therebyautomatically center the valve actuator support with respect to andabove the valve housing. Between the side plates 53 is arranged forvertical sliding movement a U-shaped traveller Whose side members 51overlie and parallel the side plates 53 and whose bottom web 52, whichconnects the bottom ends of the side members 51, is arranged toimmediately overlie the upper end of the valve stem 48. Guide means areprovided for the traveller at opposite ends thereof for maintaining thetraveller in a vertical path relative to the valve actuator support andin alignment with the valve stem 48. Extending axially horizontallythrough and journaled in opposed apertures 59 provided in the lowerportion of the traveller is a shaft 5i whose cuter Vend portions extendthrough and are slidable in vertically elongated apertures e2 formed inthe side plates 53. The shaft 5I is retained in place, axially, by meansof a circular collar pressed thereon and positioned between the sidemembers 51. The upper ends of the side members 51 are each provided withvertically extended notches `(i4 in which is slidably received anaxially horizontal shaft 55 whose opposite end portions are journaleclin axially aligned apertures 61 provided at the upper ends of the sideplates 53 and whose central portion is pressed into a lever 68 lyingbetween.` the side members 51 of the traveller. A lower edge portion ofthe lever 68 is shaped to form a curvate cam 59 substantially ofcycloidal form whose riseprogresses from a minimum dimension in a planenormally traversing the longitudinal extent of the lever to a maximumdimension in a plane substantially normal to said first plane. As shownin Fig. 2, the cam 69 is arranged to bear against the periphery of thecollar 63 which functions as an anti-friction roller for the cam. Thedistal end of the lever is provided with an integral sleeve 'El createdpreferably by bending opposed side portions of the lever toconjunctively form a cylinder. The sleeve 1l is provided with internalthreads for receiving the correspondingly threaded rod arm 12 to thedistal extremity of which is attached the ball iioat 'I3 buoyed by thewater in the tank.

After the tank has been emptied of water, the float 73 will havedescended to its lowermost position of travel and as a result the camE8' will have been rocked downwardly to cause the traveller 51, 58, 51to descend thereby depressing the valve stem 48 and moving the valve 47downwardly to uncover the valve port 44. Water may then flow from theriser pipe 9, pass through the open valve port into the chamber 49 andthen flow through the apertures 5! and 38, and the vertical grooves 4|,into the discharge tube Il to thereafter pass downwardly through thediffuser I8 and enter the tank to refill the latter. It will be notedthat regardless of the volume of ow issuing from the discharge tube, theusually solid stream will be broken up by the diffuser I8 and will fallwith less concentrated force into the body of water residing in orpreviously discharged into the tank. Thus the'noise which usuallyfollows the introduction of a solid forceful stream into a hollowcontainer is greatly reduced. It will also be noted that the shape ofthe cam e9 permits comparatively rapid opening and closing movements ofthe valve 47, in proportion to movements of the cam responsive toreceding or rising water levels in the tank, toward the end of the valveopening movement and at the start of the closing operation of the valve.It will be observed that water issuing from the riser pipe 9 impingesagainst the face of the valve 47 and urges the latter to close in thedirection of water 110W. Under such conditions, the leverage systemsusually employed in connecting the valve for operation by the float areeasily influenced by the aforesaid water pressure and frequently set upsympathetic vibrations between the valve and oat which emanate audiblyfrom the outer surfaces of the tank and transmitted, by conductancealong the pipes, throughout the entire Water system of the dwelling.This, in a large measure, is responsible for the noisy operation of theusual water closet tank. 5,

mit movement to the arm 12 or the float 73.

Consequently, the closing of the valve will be accomplished withoutchatter or induced vibrations and will be marked by the substantiallycomplete absence of noise.

Servicing of the apparatus above described is comparatively simple. Theonly part which may require periodic attention is the removable Valveunit and the separation or replacement of the latter unit may be readilyeffected by the act of detaching or reattaching the ring nut 21, thevalve actuator support in the former case, being then separated from thevalve housing so that the valve unit is exposed and may be readilylifted from the housing.

Manufacture of the apparatus of my invention is greatly simplified andrendered more economical since, it is seen, a great many of the majorparts may be constructed of sheet or rod material or tubing of therequisite sizes or, in the case of the valve body, the latter may becombinedwith the discharge tube to form a unitary die-cast member sothat fabricating operations may be rapidly and efficiently carried outon punch presses, automatic turning machines and pressure moldingapparatus. Such simplified structure and fabricating operations greatlyreduce production costs and will combine to effect measurable savings tothe ultimate consumer.

I claim:

In a liquid-receiving tank including a substantially vertical riser pipethrough which liquid may now to enter said tank, a liquid discharge tubesurrounding and concentric with the upper end portion of said riser pipeand removable therefrom, said tube having the lower end thereof open tothe interior ofsaid tank, means interposed between the outer peripheryof said riser pipe and the inner peripheral surface of said dischargetube adjacent the lower end of the latter for retaining said pipe andtube in relative concentric relation, a valve housing having an inletcommunicating with said riser pipe and an outlet through which liquidentering said valve housing may W, said outlet terminating within said.discharge tube whereby liquid owing therefrom Will pass through saidtube and discharge at the lower end thereof.

STEPHEN SAMARAS.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 916,927 Guedesse Mar. 30, 1909 948,748 Van Deusen Feb. 8, 19101,545,444 Papin July 7, 1925 1,604,782 Pasman Oct. 26, 1926 1,618,331Gilchrist Feb. 22, 1927 1,724,940 Jones Aug. 20, 1929 1,833,518 EricsonNov. 24, 1931 2,012,255 Binnall Aug. 20, 1935 2,017,799 Helfrich Oct.15, 1935 2,105,314 Duncan Jan. 11, 1938 2,238,146 Yavitch Apr. 15, 19412,299,707 Svirsky Oct. 20, 1942 2,374,989 Funk May l, 1945 2,382,500Owens Aug. 14, 1945l

